When bitter&sweet meet
°3•New beginning

It’s been a month since I moved to this town called Saint-Rock. I asked my father for help. He has a connection in this town for a job that I wanted. I will begin working there in less than a week.

Davis and Katy tried to contact me when they learned I was moving away. Of course, I refused. Too much pain was left behind for me to stay. Here I can finally breathe.

Tonight, I will do something out of the ordinary for me by going out on my own to celebrate the start of a new life, I know, I know, I’ve never done this before, but now I’m starting a new life. I can easily change my habits, right?”

It still hurts when I think of what I went through a month ago. I have come to terms with the fact that it is in the past, and I can’t change anything about it, and even if I could, I wouldn’t. They both betrayed me. That’s why I need this tonight, to celebrate. I’m mumbling, I know.

After a hundred different outfits and a call from my mom to make sure I was alright, I ended up at a bar called Puzzle13! I’m sitting on one of the bar stools, looking at the commotion in front of me. I regret this decision; this place isn’t my cup of tea.

“What will you have, darling?” I turn to the other side of the bar, and I see the bartender.

“Scotch and soda,” I say, the first drink that pops into my head.

“You got it.” He wrote my order on his pad.

I turn around and look at the crowd again, then I see them, the most beautiful grey eyes I have ever seen. I notice that he has a beard. Usually, I’m not too fond of beards, but for him, I’ll make an exception. It makes the grey of his eyes stand out more.

I always hated when Davis grew a beard. Wait a minute, why am I thinking of him? No, not tonight.

Fudge! I turn around so quickly—a moment there, I think I’m going to fall off my seat.

Fudge! Fudge! Fudge!

He caught me staring. No, not starring, ogling.

Ugh, what a nightmare. I say to myself as I hide my face in my hands.

“Here you go, darling.” The bartender says as he gives me my drink.

Without thinking, I take it and drink it all at once because of my embarrassment.

Bad move. My throat is burning now.

“Can I have another, please?” What? Why did I ask for another one? What a great way to start a new beginning.

This time I’ll make sure to drink it slower.

“Hello there, pretty lady.” Someone sits beside me. “I was wondering if it hurt when you fell?”

I frown. Fell? What fell?

I say nothing, but my curiosity makes me look at him.

“You know, being an angel and all that. Because a woman as pretty as you must have been an angel.”

Why do I feel so embarrassed tonight? Can’t I have a break? I turn to the bartender so he can help out, but he isn’t there. Great, how am I supposed to get out of this one now?

“Look, you seem….” I try to speak, but he interrupts me.

“What, handsome? I know I’m handsome. You and I are both good-looking. We could do something about it.” He grins.

Is he for real right now?

Think of something, think of something. Without thinking, I down my drink all at once for the second time. That’s going to hurt in the morning.

“Stuart, don’t you have anything better to do than bother this lady with your lame pick-up lines?” I hear a voice from beside me.

When I turn my head to see who my knight in shining armour is, my heart literally stops beating. It's him. The one I was ogling earlier. Did I say ogling? I mean staring, the one with the beautiful grey eyes.

Is it me, or is it hot in here? Maybe it’s the drink or the fact that he stands beside me.

Great, I’m babbling again.

The other man scoffs. “Levi, weren’t you talking to some blonde earlier? Why are you here bothering us?”

“Let me rephrase that for you, Stuart. You’re the one bothering her, isn’t that right, babe?”

Is he talking to me? Oh god, I think he is. Say something, anything.

“Tory.” I manage to say. Great, I don’t think that’s what he asked you, Tory.

“Like I was trying to say, I’m not interested.” Good girl, nice save.

I see the disappointment in Stuart's eyes as he continues to look at me. He’s about to say something when his eyes land on a brown-haired girl sitting in the bar’s corner not far from me.

“Your loss, Tory.” He says before going over to the girl and saying one of the cheesiest lines of all time.

“No one puts baby in a corner.” It must have worked because she was all over him after that. Guess people are desperate sometimes.

I look at the man beside me, and I can’t believe how nervous he makes me feel. I never felt this way when I first saw Davis, which surprised me. Before, Davis and I were friends, and if I remember correctly, Davis was persistent at first because I didn’t see him that way. Over the years, I learned to love him, and here I am beside a stranger who’s making me feel all kinds of feelings I’ve never felt before.

“Thank you for coming to my rescue.” I finally manage to say to him. I hope he didn’t hear the nerves in my voice.

“No problem, babe, but don’t confuse me with a knight in shining armour. I’m not that kind of guy.”

I arch my brows. “Oh, what kind of guy are you?”

He leans towards me until his lips brush against my ear. “You sure you want to replace out, babe?”

Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!

I reach for my glass to drink it, forgetting I already did. I hear him chuckle.

"Jerry, can you give this girl another drink of whatever she's having and put it on my tab."

"You don't have to do that. I can pay." I reach for my purse, but he stops me, placing his hand over mine. I immediately feel a shock when our hands touch.

"I insist, babe."

What's the deal with him calling me babe all the time?

"I have a name, you know. It's Tory."

"I know. I heard it when you said it the first time." He chuckles once more.

"I'm glad I amuse you," I reply sarcastically.

He brushes a lock of hair behind my ear. "Trust me, babe, it's not amusement I'm feeling right now."

My heart hammers in my chest so loudly. I'm sure the entire bar can hear it. For the third time, I drink my glass in one shot.